[Lucky Overpowered] — I Became a Background Character Meant to Die in the Game’s Opening, But Now I’m Overpowered and Fighting to Save My All-Time Favorite Alchemist Heroine - Episode 1

“Am I… late!?”

I jolted awake to find an unfamiliar ceiling overhead. Just a plain white ceiling.

“Urgh…”

As I sat up, a strange tingling sensation pulsed through the core of my body. Surrounding me was a curtain of white cloth—just like in a hospital.

“Where… am I?”

Why am I in a place like this?

“Ugh!?”

The moment I tried to recall my memories, a sharp pain pierced through my head.

Something was wrong.

I clearly remembered my 25 years of life in Japan. But at the same time, there were other memories—fifteen years spent living as a boy named Gee. Those memories existed parallel to my Japanese life.

What the hell is going on?

Startled, I looked down at my body. It was lean and toned, nothing like the soft, out-of-shape body I had in Japan. This… this body belonged to Gee.

Digging deeper into my memories, my last moment in Japan was collapsing from exhaustion at the entrance of my apartment after another hellish day at my black company job.

So… did I actually die back there?

And now I’ve been reborn as Gee in a completely different world from Earth?

“No way…”

It sounded way too fantastical to be real. But this body, these memories—they were Gee’s. I had no choice but to accept that this was real.

“Okay then… where exactly is this place?”

This curtained-off space didn’t match anything from either my Japanese life or Gee’s.

Just as I tried to piece things together—

Swish!

The white curtain suddenly flew open.

“Gee!? You’re awake!?”

A girl stood before me, framed by the parted curtains.

And then—

“Ghh!?”

The instant I laid eyes on her, a massive wave of memories and emotions surged into my head—like watching an entire marathon of movies in a single instant.

“Are you okay!?”

She had long, silvery hair and eyes that shimmered red with tears as she looked at me in deep concern.

“…Lise?”

That’s right—I remembered now. This girl, Lise, looked exactly like the protagonist of a game I used to play in my previous life.

The game followed Lise, a struggling alchemist girl, on a journey where she used alchemy to craft various items and help others. It was an RPG filled with adventure and heart.

Lise was an alchemist, an adventurer… Could it be that this world was actually the game’s world?

I know it sounds insane, but the geography, the items—they all matched what I remembered from the game. Could that really be a coincidence?

Could this truly be…

“Lise’s Atelier: The Fallen Alchemist and the Soul-Eating Demon King”?

Wait a second—wasn’t Gee the name of Lise’s childhood friend in the game?

Am I… that Gee!?

Being reborn as the childhood friend of my favorite character? That’s amazing!

“Alright! If this is a dream, don’t let me wake up! I am Gee!”

“Wha—!? Gee, what are you talking about!? You did hit your head after all, didn’t you…?”

Lise gripped my arm with worry and gently tried to guide me back to the bed. A soft, sweet scent drifted from her as she leaned in.

This is unreal… Lise, the actual Lise, is right here in front of me.

I fell for her so hard playing that game—I replayed it over and over just to be near her.

She’s loyal, selfless, and absolutely adorable.

And now she’s looking at me with so much concern. My heart was already melting.

“Lie down and rest. Your treatment is complete, but sudden movement could still be dangerous.”

“Marry me…”

“Wha—!?”

Oops. That came out of my mouth by accident.

“Gee!? What are you saying!? You really must’ve hit your head harder than we thought. Please, just rest!”

Even with her face flushing red, Lise looked absolutely precious.

But… something about her expression felt off.

She had dark circles under her eyes, and her gaze looked swollen—had she been crying? Her skin looked a little pale, too.

“Lise… Have you not been sleeping?”

“I was worried about you… I’m sorry! If I’d only been able to make a stronger potion… you wouldn’t have had to risk your life for me…!”

“I almost… died?”

“You don’t remember? You protected me from that skeletal monster… and then…”

Her voice broke. She looked like she was about to cry again.

A skeletal monster? Wait—wasn’t Gee attacked by the Soul Eater in the opening of the game? It devoured his soul…

Searching Gee’s memories, I could vividly recall the image of that dragon-like creature made entirely of bones—the Soul Eater.

So then… why am I still alive?

If Gee encountered the Soul Eater, his soul should’ve been consumed.

But forget that for now—what mattered was Lise.

In the game, Gee’s body dies shortly after losing his soul.

That event shatters Lise.

They’d grown up together in the same orphanage. Lise probably didn’t even realize it herself, but she had feelings for Gee.

Their quiet, budding romance… torn apart by the Soul Eater.

Lise’s cries when Gee died… it shook me to my core.

In the game, Lise dove deeper into alchemy to save him. She never succeeded, but she vowed to master alchemy so no one else would suffer like she did.

“Well, I’m just glad you’re okay, Lise.”

“That’s not okay! You nearly died because of me!”

Lise stared at me fiercely through watery eyes, and at last, a tear escaped and traced down her cheek like a glimmering thread of light.

But… what should I do?

What do you even say to comfort a girl in this kind of situation?

I’ve never talked to a girl like this before—no idea what I’m doing!

“But I’m alive, aren’t I? We both survived that monster attack. Let’s focus on that.”

“Gee…!”

“Whoa!?”

Suddenly, Lise threw her arms around me.

Her warmth, the softness of her body—it all hit me at once, and I thought my brain might just explode.

Should I… hug her back?

Cautiously, I wrapped my arms around her delicate figure. She was so slender, so soft, I felt like I might break her if I squeezed too hard.

No good! My brain’s about to short-circuit!

I forced myself to think about something else—to calm down.

What do I do from here?

Since I know everything about this world from the game, I can help Lise grow more efficiently. I know how to get rare items. And maybe… just maybe, I can prevent the bad endings from happening.

Even someone like me… might actually be able to help Lise.

Also, in this world, people awaken a special power called a Gift when they turn fifteen. Lise’s Gift is Alchemy, which is why she’s training to become an alchemist.

Looking through Gee’s memories, his Gift was Dual Blades.

The weakest of the sword-type Gifts. Adults mocked him constantly, and the bitterness of those memories came flooding back.

But… something doesn’t feel right.

Sure, Gee’s Gift was Dual Blades. No doubt about that.

But according to the game’s lore book—which I practically memorized—Gifts are tied to a person’s soul.

And now, the soul inside Gee’s body… is mine.

“Hmm…”

So, what does that mean for the Gift?

Naturally, I never had a Gift in my past life. So does that mean… I don’t have one now?

“What’s wrong, Gee?”

Lise, still in my arms, gently pulled away.

The warmth left me instantly, and I felt such a wave of loss that I almost reached out to pull her back.

But no—I had to restrain myself. I wanted to treat Lise with respect.

“Hey, there’s a tool at the church that identifies Gifts, right? Can I see it?”

“The Divining Stone? Why so suddenly?”

“I don’t know… just a feeling. But I really want to check.”

“I’ll go ask… but you better stay in bed, okay?”

“Thanks.”

The church must’ve been close, because Lise came back quickly with a priest.

“This is the one requesting the identification?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Very well. Please place your hand on the stone.”

The priest gestured to a crystal ball that looked like something a fortune teller would use.

I placed my hand on it—and the orb lit up with a bright flash.

“W-What!?”

The elderly priest recoiled in shock. Looking at the crystal, I saw two golden words floating inside:

Dual Blades and Luck.

But the text for Dual Blades was faint, almost like it was fading away.

“Two Gifts…?”

Dual Blades must be Gee’s original Gift, lingering faintly.

But where did Luck come from?

Could it be… my soul’s power manifested as this new Gift?

“Luck, huh…”

The moment I focused on the word, information flowed into my head.

Apparently, the Luck Gift increases the Luck stat—which normally doesn’t improve no matter how much you level up.

“…No way. That’s crazy, isn’t it?”

Luck remains unchanged no matter how much you level up. Is there perhaps a gift that can enhance it?

Luck influences several vital aspects—hit rate, critical strikes, evasion, and even the drop rate of items.

As the old priest once said, gifts can grow. The effects may seem minor now, but with proper nurturing, their potential is clear.

It took everything I had not to shout with joy.

With this power, I can become even more useful to Lise!